In this April 14, 2012, photo the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Fort Worth, Texas looks pretty packed, but the fact is participation and contributions have plunged since the Planned Parenthood controversy in January. Fort Worth reported about a 23 percent drop. (Joyce Marshall/AP)

To run, or not to run?

That is the question for women around the country deciding whether to sit out the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure series — the first in the city since the foundation's Planned Parenthood funding flap in January.

Advertisement

Donations and participation plummeted for the world's largest breast cancer charity — which hosts 134 fundraising runs across the U.S. a year — after the Komen foundation cut funding to the family planning, birth control and abortion group.

Enrollment in the Washington, D.C. 5K in June dropped almost 40 percent from last year. The Indianapolis run in April lost 11,000 participants, and the Northern New Jersey chapter in May raised half a million less than the year before. Registration for the San Francisco 5K this weekend is down almost 50 percent from 2011.

Advertisement

The Komen Greater NYC Race for the Cure in Central Park Sunday — the charity's biggest fundraiser of the year — has also been hit hard.

Last year's event boasted more than 21,000 participants, and raised $6 million. But enrollment is down more than 25 percent from last year, or about 5,250 people.

One of the boycotting runners is Jennifer Bolstad, a 36-year-old breast cancer survivor who won this race twice.

"I'm not coming back to defend my title this year," said Bolstad, who lives in Park Slope.

"The Planned Parenthood thing sealed the deal for me," said Bolstad. "Whether or not you agree with where they stand politically, not providing health care to women is pretty ridiculous."

Participants take off at the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure along Central Park West. But that was last year. Participation is down nationwide. Nine of the years 135 planned races have been held so far, with eight reporting a drop in participation numbers ranging from around 10 percent to 30 percent. New York anticipates a 25 percent drop in the upcoming race. (Smith, Bryan, Freelance NYDN)

It was also the last straw for Pamela Grossman, another breast cancer survivor. "Raising money for breast cancer research and funding programs that benefit women's health should not be political," said Grossman, 45, from Greenpoint.

The head of the New York City chapter of the Komen foundation admitted that his fundraising effort this year is in trouble.

"Honestly, a terrible mistake was made in February," said Vern Calhoun, the executive director of the chapter. "The decision was reversed, that situation was rectified ... but enrollment is still definitely down."

Calhoun hopes last-minute participants will sign up on-line before 5 p.m. Saturday, or in person before the 9 a.m. race on Sunday.

Other runners wrestled with the question, but ultimately decided the greater good would keep them in the race. Andrea Koster-Crain, 26, formed a team of 30 people to run in support of her mother, Amanda Crain, 66, who has been battling cancer for 16 years. They've raised more than $13,000 so far.

"Komen's mission and their goals are to help survivors and to help people battling cancer," said Koster-Crain, "and it would be a shame to lose people because of politics."

Komen reps hope that more defected fundraisers will return to the fold for future races. "How can you overlook 29 years of really good work because of one mistake that was made at a national level at the beginning of the year?" asked Calhoun.